I wanna shelter you
by The Stitched Ninja
Summary: Edd receives comfort when he needs it most. By someone he didn't expect. But welcomed non-the-less. Kevedd


Of course it would be raining. It had to be raining on a funeral day. The sky had to be darker than black to match the black umbrellas and clothes on those that had attended the event. It had to be cold with a wind that just seemed to cut through to you.

But what seemed to make it worse, even more horrifically typical-the fully dressed military personnel surrounding a lone boy before a red, white, and blue flag covered coffin. Kevin couldn't really tell if they were marines or army or whatever. All he knew was that they all had lots of shiny badges on their chests and colorful bars. Nazz would probably be able to tell, her dad was in the military as well (in fact he was standing off from the crowd, preparing to fire off shots), but the girl was grim as she watched their cul-de-sac buddy from across the dark pine box.

In fact they were all there. Either their parents had forced them to come (in the case of Rolf and Johnny). Or they were supporting friends (Jimmy's case in that Sarah was forced to come to support her brother who in turn was supporting his own friend). Or that they felt that they just had to be there. That it was the right thing to do despite appearances (Kevin's own case). Either way it meant they were all there, dressed in black. Umbrellas huddled together as they were forced to stand off from the family. Forced to watch their friend...their resident genius...their Double D try to hold it all together.

It was all just so much bullshit.

"Dr. Robert "Billy" Vincent will never be forgotten. And in not being forgotten he will always be in our hearts." The Pastor, another military type, finished the closing prayer. "Ashes to ashes...dust to dust...May God accept your soul unto Heaven and make you Whole again. Amen."

The murmured "amen" sounded as the flag on the casket was being folded into a neat little triangle. Kevin had never been to a military funeral before. But he had thought that guns were supposed-!

And then the shots were heard over the loud thunder clash. But even they weren't able to drown out Nazz's gasp as she watched the proceedings.

"Oh no..." The blond haired girl gasped, a black covered hand going up to cover her mouth. "Not to Double D!"

Confused Kevin turned his attentions away from the gun shots and back to the opposite side of the lowering casket. Where a single decorated man was kneeling before Double D, trying to hand him the flag.

"The flag always goes to the next of kin." Nazz explained to the group now that she had gotten their attentions. "Since it was Mr. Vincent that...passed...it should go to his wife. The fact that it's going to Double D means..."

Oh God...

Realizing what his best friend was getting at Kevin shook his head, "Double D's...an orphan." The jock shook his head. Behind him his mother sniffled into her hankie while his father put a stabilizing on his son's shoulder.

As the coffin finally settled into the ground and as the last of the gun shots echoed into the distance Edd finally seemed to snap himself out of the daze he had been in. He blinked and looked around him as if just realizing where he was. In complete black to finally match his black hat the boy looked especially pale in the weather. Pale and cold if the slight shaking was anything to go by. Dazedly the boy reached out and took the triangle flag, pressing it to his chest tightly and nodding as the man said something to him. It was too far for the others of the cul-de-sac to really tell what was being said. But it apparently did nothing to reassure their friend as his shaking only got worse as the military man moved away.

It was there that Kevin decided that he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take just standing there; watching as Double D literally crumbled before his very eyes! Completely surrounded by not friends and family, but a bunch of army jerks that didn't even know him! Where were his grandparents? His aunts and uncles? Family? Hell, where were the close friends to the family that he could at least momentarily lean against?

They were forced on the other side of the grave, that's what!

Growling low in his throat Kevin shrugged off his father's hand and marched around the gravesite. Not even bothering about the rain that soaked him by the time he reached his destination. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that he got there just in time to wrap his friend in a comforting embrace just as Double D's legs gave out on him. Uncaring of the dirt and muck beneath his feet Edd sunk to his knees and just stared out at the grave, Kevin right beside him.

Double D's bottom lip trembled as he stared at the grave. Just stared at it. More than just rain water running down his round cheeks. His gapped teeth biting at his bottom lip to keep it from trembling overly much and failing completely. One arm was wrapped tightly around the flag. The other had somehow found itself in Kevin's. The dark haired boy couldn't seem to be able to support himself. He leaned heavily on Kevin. He practically vibrated under Kevin's arm around his shoulders.

It was there they just sat. Through the rest of the condolences'. Through the rest of the well wishers. Through the rest of the storm.

And when the storm finally passed. And everyone else was gone. And Kevin's parents had reassured everyone that they would take Edd and keep him until something could be figured out, then left themselves to wait for the boys in the parking lot. Then, and only then, did Edd seem to snap himself out of his daze once more to turn to Kevin and ask:

"What now?"

If only Kevin had an answer for the genius. He would have happily given it to him. But all he could do was shrug and reply:

"I don't know...We go home, I guess."


End file.
